New to gardening? Perennials are a great place to start for novices

Friday

In fact, according to an April survey conducted by Wakefield Research, about 30% of Americans don't know where to start when it comes to outdoor projects such as gardening.

However, local gardeners agree that by following a few simple steps, your do-it-yourself garden may blossom into an array of beautiful and colorful flowers.

According to Amber Berger of Heckman Orchards, one of the easiest no-fail plants to grow are perennials, a type of plant known to live for more than two years.

There are hundreds of versions of perennials sold in nurseries; however, only some of them grow well in the Northeast.

"The black-eyed Susan is one that is native to Pennsylvania and grows great in a flower bed. Coreopsis is another one. It's bright yellow and looks really pretty," Berger said. "You can also get summer phlox to use as a border or edging for the flower bed, or bee balm, which can grow over five feet depending on where you put it."

Along with the flowers mentioned above, the orchard, 3009 Route 115 in Effort, carries various types of perennials, including hens and chicks, Indian summer, cherry truffle and yarrow.

Perennials may cost a little more than an annual plant because they grow back every year.

"Perennial flowers are easy to take care of and dependable," Berger said. "And they come in tons of variety of colors from bright yellow to pinks and blues."

With the weather warming up, now is the perfect time to start thinking about what kind of flowers you'd like in your garden.

"The middle of May or early June is a great time to get started because outside the threat of frost decreases," Berger said. "A lot of people start planting right after Mother's Day — at least that's when our business starts to pick up."

Most plants come with nursery tags, which will offer the scientific name of the plant; instructions, such as watering directions; and how much sunlight is required.

Once you picked out and purchased your flowers, Berger said you'll also want to buy some topsoil and fertilizer to give these plants a good start.

"Peat moss lightens the soil since it's an organic matter," he said. "It also holds the moisture in, and helps with the worms and bugs that are processing the soil."

Some other things to keep in mind: start small. "You don't need to spend a ton of money in the beginning. Allow yourself to get used to gardening," she said.

More importantly, try not over tend to your flowers. While McCracken said it's important to water your plants in the beginning stages (even when it rains), too much water or replanting can easily kill even the toughest of plants.